Method of sterilizing containers



y 1949 o. R. SELL 2,475,407

METHOD OF STERILIZING CONTAINERS Filed Jan 17, 1946 16 I I I 16 h T l Ol I h l Fig.2

OscarR. Sell Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to the cleansing and sterilizing of jars, cans,bottles and the like, and more particularly to an improved method forquickly, easily and thoroughly cleansing and sterilizing containers orreceptacles of the char acter referred to.

The object of the invention is a novel method of operating apparatuswhereby the inverted containers being cleansed and sterilized will beentirely filled with vigorously boiling water so that the hot water willcome into direct contact with every portion of the interior surfaces ofthe jars or bottles so as to efficiently cleanse and sterilize the same.

A further object is the provision of a novel method of operatingapparatus, which consists in raising the water in a receptacle to theboiling point so that steam and hot water will be discharged fromfountain tubes located on the bottom of the receptacle into theinteriors of jars or bottles supported in inverted position thereoverwith their mouths below the water level, then lowering the temperatureof the water below the boiling point which causes the jars or bottles tobe filled with Water from the receptacle, and again raising thetemperature of the water in the receptacle to the boiling point whichWill cause the water within the interiors of the jars or bottles to boilvigorously in direct contact with the inner surfaces thereof for aperiod of time, after which the boiling water will recede from the jarsor bottles and the original water level in the receptacle and within thelower portions of the inverted jars or bottles will be resumed.

The above objects, together with others which will be apparent from thedrawing and following description, or which may be later referred to,may be attained by operating the improved sterilizer in the mannerhereinafter described in detail and disclosed in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view through a sterilizing apparatusembodying the invention showing the same in the condition when jars orbottles are placed therein for sterilizing; and,

Fig. 2 a similar view illustrating the manner in which the hot water isforced up into the interiors of the jars or bottles entirely filling thesame so as to contact every portion of the interior surfaces andthoroughly cleanse and sterilize the same.

Referring more particularly to the apparatus disclosed in the drawing, areceptacle for hot water as indicated generally at I may be in the formof a kettle, sauce pan or similar cooking utensil of any usual andordinary cross sectional size and shape and of sufiicient depth toaccomplish the purpose of the invention as will be later described.

A plurality of vertical fountain tubes indicated at l I may be locatedupon the bottom of the receptacle it), each of these fountain tubes beinof substantially the construction of the ordinary percolator inset andhaving a perforate, hollow dome base l2 provided with a plurality ofapertures I3 in its lower portion, the upright fountain tube H beingcentrally supported upon this hollow dome base and communicating withthe interior thereof.

Any desired number of these fountain tubes may be provided, dependingupon the size of the hot Water receptacle l0 and the number of jars orbottles desired to be sterilized with each operation of the apparatus.

For the purpose of providing means whereby the plurality of fountaintubes may be inserted into or removed from the hot water receptacle 10,as a unit, the plurality of dome bases l2 may be formed integrally with,or attached to, a bottom plate [4 adapted to rest upon the bottom of thehot water receptacle [0 when the apparatus is in use, and this bottomplate may be connected to a wire rack indicated generally at [5 andprovided with hinged handles or bails l6 by means of which the entireframe with the jars or bottles supported thereon may be easily andreadily inserted into or removed from the hot water receptacle.

Each fountain tube is provided near its lower end with support means forsupporting a jar or bottle in inverted position with the mouth thereofbelow the water lever L in the hot water receptacle l0, this supportmeans being preferably in the form of a plurality of radially disposedhorizontally located rods or fingers I! located Well below the waterlevel in the receptacle l0 and adapted to support the mouths [8 of theinverted jars or bottles l9, to be sterilized, in inverted position overthe fountain tubes l l and considerably below the water level in thereceptacle as illustrated in the drawing.

In the operation of the apparatus above described, to carry out theimproved method of cleansing and sterilizing the containers, thereceptacle I0 is filled with water to substantially the level indicatedat L in Fig. 1 and the fountain insets with jars or bottles supportedthereover in inverted position, as indicated at l9, are placed upon thebottom of the receptacle as shown in said figure with the open mouths ofthe inverted jars or bottles located well below the water level L. Thewater level within the jars or bottles will be at the same height as thewater level in the receptacle l0, outside of the jars or bottles, asindicated in Fig. 1, since at this time the atmospheric pressure on thewater inside of the jars or bottles and the atmospheric pressure on thewater outside of the jars or bottles are equal. The water is brought toboiling temperature and maintained at this temperature for aperio'd oftime during which jets of hot water and steam are discharged into theinteriors of the jars or bottles through the fountain insets H creatingsteam pressure within the invertedfjarsor bottles above the water leveltherein, this steamvpressure within the inverted bottles or jars causingthe water level therein to be lowered until it reaches the mouths of theinverted jars or bottles, the increased steam pressure within the jarsorb'ottles forcing some of the air therefrom which is re- -placed bysteam.

"After this action has been permitted to continue for some time, thetemperature "or 'the water in the receptacle i is lowered, preferablyto:just below the boiling point, by either'turning downthe burner, orremoving the receptacle ll! therefrom, orbyadding a littie cold Water tothe hotwater in the receptacle. Asthe jars or'bottles and*their'contents are thus cooled this causes condensation of the steamwhich is trapped within the jars or bottles reducing the pressure insideof the jars or bottles so as to'induce a flow of liquid from outside toequalize'theoutside and inside pressure.

This results in the water'from the receptacle 40 being forced upwardinto the jars or bottles 19, completely filling the same with water asshown in Fig. '2and lowering the'water level in the receptacles ID asindicated at L2 The temperature of the Water is again raised to or abovethe boiling-point by turning up the burner, or placing the receptacleback upon the-burner, as the casemavbe. causing'the water in the jars orbottlesto boil vigorously in contact with the entireinner surfaces ofthe jars or hottles thoroughly cleansing and sterilizing the same.

After this action has-continued for sometime the water will recedefrom-the jars or bottles and return to the level-as indicated atL inFig. --1 and the rack containing the sterilized and cleansed bottlesmay-then beremoved from the receptacle and the sterilized containers areready for use for receiving food stuffs or the like.

From the above it will be obvious that a simple, inexpensive and easilyoperated method is provided for quickly, efficiently and thoroughlycleansing and sterilizing the entire inner surfaces of the jars, bottlesor similar containers.

I claim:

1. The method of sterilizing and cleansing containers which consists inimmersin an inverted container in boiling water with the open mouth ofthe container below'the water level and discharging jets of the hotwater and steam into the interior of the inverted container so as toreplace part of the air in the container with steam which increasesthezpressure within the container and lowers the water level therein tothe open mouth thereof, then lowering the temperature of 'the'water soas to cool the container and its contents causing condensation of thesteam and reduction of pressure within the container so that water flowsinto the container filling the same, and then raising the temperature ofthe water causing it to boil within the container.

2. The-method of sterilizin and 'cleansing'containers'which-consists inimmersing an inverted container in boiling water over a fountaln tub'ewith the open mouth of the container'below-the Water level anddischarging jets of 'the hot water and-steam'into the interior of theinverted container seats to replace part of the airin the container withsteam which increases the pressure within the container and'lowers thewater level therein to the openmouth'thereof, then'lowering thetemperature of the water so as to cool the container and its contentscausing condensation of the steam'and reduction of pressurewithin thecontainer so that water flows into the container filling'the-same, andthen raising the temperature of the Water causing itto boil within thecontainer.

OSCAR R. SELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the 'flleofthisp'atent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date "466,680 "Harris et' a1. l Jan.5, 1892 843,555 Weym'ar Feb. 5, 1907 1303186 Erickson Apr. 6, 19191,642,419 Loew Sept. 13, 1927 789,684 Lozowsky Jan. 20, 1931

